The purpose of the project is to improve the process and the materials used to create 3D-printed prosthetic hands for amputees and people with congenital limb deficiencies.

The prostheses come at a very affordable price and for the most part are designed for children, who need to replace them every 2 years, while not all families can afford the expense. Researchers study the characteristics of prosthetic hands in terms of durability in view of improving their performance.

In general, the project seeks to maintain the low cost of the materials and the production process so that more children can access the service, because high-tech limbs are usually very expensive and not everyone can afford them. On the other hand, these low-cost, fully functional prostheses, have an approximate cost of 20 euro.

The project was started to help countries where there are many children with congenital limb deficiencies or acquired amputations. This is often the case with countries where child labor is permitted, with poor safety conditions, and in areas affected by war and armed conflicts.

Thanks to taxpayers’ donations through 5x1000 we were able to fund one research fellowship position for Dr. Massimiliano Tomaselli at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Trento.